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By combining their experiences and musical inspiration, Melbourne’s Muphin and Plutonic Lab are carving up the Australian Hip Hop scene boundaries with the release of their first joint album Hunger Pains. Muphin is well known in the scene already. After winning the 2001 Victorian Verbal Mechanics Freestyle Battle Competition he has performed countless live shows including supports for J-Zone (US), Mystik Journeymen (US), Sage Francis (US), Anticon (US), People Under The Stairs (UK), Foreign Legion (US) and locals Hilltop Hoods, Koolism and Lazy Grey. Producer and musician Plutonic Lab aka Leigh Ryan, has musical influence ranging from ambient sound sculptures to futuristic beats, the diversity of which is presented in art instillations, films, performance soundtracks and recordings on CD and vinyl. He has produced for a long list of artists
The lyrical flow of Muphin is easy to relate to including uplifting and inspiring topics as well as real life issues such as self esteem, depression, family values and the pressures on youth. This leads me to my next point, that Muphin’s rhymes have a sort of psychological element, discussing the struggle of modern living. Like a pendulum swinging from subject to story, Muphins music reveals the skeleton of a good man giving everything to music with the hope of bettering himself. This made it very easy to relate to the verses and the music compliments this. Its good to hear intelligent Australian Hip Hop records being released, a healthy change from the same old beer, graff, hoes formula that gets used way too often.
Gimme Tha Mike sends you in a trance with a hypnotic baseline rising and falling away, this is matched with clever rhymes and funky trumpet curls. Beer Goggles has more ‘clackedy’ drum patterns coordinated with a dirty analogue baseline and a cleverly chopped up acoustic guitar sample. A similar guitar sample is used in Moment Of Clarity although this time with a funkier baseline and lyrics to match. The tempo rises with The Jason Chapman Story which has a sort of jungle feel to it. An almost techy loop kicks off the tune and begins to take more influence. The dubby breakbeat is matched with rational rhymes. It was a pleasant surprise to hear this one as it shows Muphin and Plutonic Lab’s musical diversity. The pace slows again and the CD returns to its laid back tip with Scars And Stains Featuring Minas.Kicking in Becoming Agrophobic again has typical Hip Hop beats and talented flowing verse. This is merged with a chugging baseline, wicked scratching and tasteful piano keys. Hunger Pains illustrates the high-quality Australian Hip Hop that is coming out of Melbourne lately.
Being signed to prominent Australian Hip Hop label Obese Records situated in the bohemian area of Parahn in Melbourne’s inner-city suburbs indicates the quality of this CD. Obese have unleashed a lot of Australia’s Hip Hop talent, and are the people behind the successful Culture of Kings compilations. The scratching is done really well on all tracks, added at the right places and, at the right times. Plutonic Lab demonstrates his production skills in Hunger Pains by blending all sounds together in harmony. The original intros and outros show creativeness, and add individuality to the tracks as well.